Trivia: Zeng Guofan's grandfather Zeng Yuping founded family precepts and its influence

Zeng Yuping, Zeng Guofan's grandfather, summed up his actions and summed up the eight-character motto of governing the country, which had a far-reaching impact on his family.

Eight-character family precepts: pig, vegetable, fish, book, morning, sweep, test and treasure.

Reading, growing vegetables, raising fish and feeding pigs are all family matters; Getting up early to clean up, sincerely practicing sacrifices and being kind to relatives and neighbors are the rules of family management.

Later, Zeng Guofan developed into Zeng's family precepts on this basis. He believes that children's education "study hard is the first"; Advocate "diligence, diligence and hard work, and oppose extravagance and laziness".

In view of the fact that his children grew up in wealthy families and were accustomed to pampering themselves, Zeng Guofan particularly emphasized avoiding arrogance and extravagance, advocating frugality and respecting forgiveness. He believes that "staying at home is based on not getting up late" and never allows children to sleep late. At home, children have to sweep the floor and grow vegetables, and their wives and daughters have to cook and weave every day.

Zeng Guofan knows very well: "The government does not accumulate wealth, and the children are helpless. If they don't work hard for a day, they will be hungry and cold, and then their children will gradually work hard and be self-reliant. " The essence of people is to relax and hate work. If parents save enough money for their children, why should they suffer? As a result, I have nothing to eat.

If they are "helpless", they will be forced to struggle, make a living and achieve their careers. As a result, they will succeed. Adults will have plenty of food and clothing if they work hard and keep a good house. Children study hard and grow up healthily, and elders can rest assured.

After staying at home, the next thing to consider is how to manage the family. Diligent housekeeping, learning scientific research, we must first pay attention to two words: "early" and "sweeping".

It is early to catch up with everything and work hard. Sweep is to clean the environment and dust the soul every day.

In managing the family, we should pay special attention to the words "test" and "treasure". The test is: sincere sacrifice is to warn family members to make sincere sacrifices to remember their ancestors; The treasure is: be kind to relatives and neighbors, that is, warn family members to be kind to people who live together. Being sincere and friendly to people is the foundation of being a man, which embodies a simple folk custom.

People in a place live together. If everyone works hard, has a strong style of study, treats others sincerely and lives in harmony, they will live and work in peace and contentment, and talented people will come forth in large numbers. Where there are talents, there are talents. With talents, the country will prosper and the country will be rich and strong. How can a small family not prosper? Therefore, the eight-character family motto, a service, a prosperity; Every family gives, and the country and the people are safe.

Three unbeliefs: don't believe in medicine, don't believe in gods, don't believe in monks and witches. If you don't believe in medicine, don't be superstitious about it. If you are sick, take as little medicine as possible, and recover best by your own resistance and strong repair ability. Otherwise, it is troublesome to form dependence on drugs, which is very scientific. If you don't believe in immortals, you don't believe in seeing Feng Shui. If you don't believe in monks and witches, you don't believe in idealism in Buddhism and divination. Destiny is in our own hands, and happiness is hard to come by.

Zeng Guofan's family instructions are the treasures of China family culture, especially Zeng Guofan's family letters, which condense the essence of family culture and are considered as Zeng Guofan's greatest contribution to the world in culture. Inspired by Zeng's excellent family style and family precepts, Zeng Guofan's family has five generations of talents, and 240 diplomats, professors and scholars have emerged, which is a miracle. The founder of this family motto is Zeng Yuping, Zeng Guofan's grandfather. Zeng Guofan followed the instructions of his ancestors all his life and was deeply influenced by his grandfather.